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After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
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A randomized controlled trial of alternative modes of service provision to young children with cerebral palsy in Bangladesh

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McConachie, H., S. Huq, et al. (2000). "A randomized controlled trial of alternative modes of service provision to young children with cerebral palsy in Bangladesh." Journal of Pediatrics 137(6): 769-776.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of an outreach program for young children with cerebral palsy with center-based and 'minimal intervention' control groups.

Design: Randomized controlled trial conducted in a group of 85 children between the ages of 1.5 and 5 years. Urban children were allocated to a daily center-based mother-child group or to monthly training of their parents along with a pictorial guidance manual. Rural children were allocated either to parent training or health advice. Outcome measures were changes in children's adaptive skills, maternal stress and adaptation to the child, satisfaction with social support, and knowledge of handling a physically disabled child.

Results: Fifty-eight children were successfully followed up. The pattern of change in children's adaptive skills was as predicted (ie, least progress in the health advice group). Positive effects of intervention also included increased maternal knowledge and perceived helpfulness of support from formal sources. However, maternal adaptation increased most in the health advice group with minimal intervention. When children had attended a program at least 4 times, their skills improved, and mothers' adaptation did increase.

Conclusions: Outreach training for mothers in Bangladesh can help them to improve the skills of their young children with cerebral palsy and is perceived as helpful.